Note: The game described in this article is no longer available.

Come Monday/Tuesday time-frame we should see the new Windows Live Messenger IM client move out of beta and into general "gold" release (it's the new name for what was previously called the MSN Messenger client).

Also starting up at apparently the same time is a cool movie-centric promotional method tying the film and the new software together. Using your Windows Live Messenger IM client, chat and play interactively with Billy Bones and Jack Sparrow, and then recruit someone else to help you continue to uncover secrets. Dead Man's Chest is the name of the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which is set to show in theaters starting on July 7th. Dead Man's Tale is an online pirate IM adventure.

As of Sunday afternoon, the "Billy Bones" IM persona was not actually online, but something tells me it will be very soon.

Arrrrrr!! This could be fun.

Meanwhile...

(found via LiveSide.net)